The present invention relates to a detachable or attachable holder having a first unit on which an object can be placed and a second unit to retain the object to the first-mentioned unit. Such holders may be made from various materials. There is a need for such holders at hospitals and various storage premises and the like, where disposable articles must be taken out of boxes. It is extremely advantageous if these boxes are arranged in one place and are stationary even when one disposable unit is removed.
In accordance with the invention the holder itself comprises a frame and to this is attached a first unit designed to act as a shelf. Several shelves may be arranged one above the other in the frame and the shelves may also be moved to different positions along the frame. The condition is that when the shelf is in operation it shall be immovable in relation to the frame. The second unit may be designed to keep an object pressed against a shelf and the second unit may be designed to be movable along the frame to achieve the desired function. It also assumes an inclined, downwardly directed resting position in relation to the unit of the first type located below it, which constitutes a shelf. The second unit has a resting position and can be manually removed from this but always strives to return to its original position after manual actuation. The frame is intended for attachment to a wall surface, but may naturally be provided with legs or some other arrangement so that the frame is placed as a stand in a suitable work place.
It has now proved particularly suitable, and also simple, to manufacture a holder of the type described above from only wire. However, the holder may naturally be made from sheet metal or the like. Wires of various material may be used for the purpose. However, metal wire is preferred. The wires used in the construction may have different dimensions. The parts to form the shelves may thus consist of wire bent to a U-shape, with a yoke part and two legs and the free ends of the two legs can be welded to a frame. Alternatively the frame may be provided with holes or some other arrangement into which the parts are inserted, or the frame may be provided with a number of sleeves into which the ends of the U-shaped wire to constitute the shelf are inserted. A rigid construction is thus obtained between shelf and frame. The frame generally consists of a piece of wire bent to form a rectangle. The ends of the rectangle are bent in the same direction so that the longitudinal portions of the wire that form the rectangular unit will be spaced from a surface if the frame is attached to a surface. Both ends of the frame are provided with plates having holes, to enable attachment of the frame to a surface. The frame may also be provided with legs at the longitudinal parts of the rectangular frame, which can be placed against a support surface such as the surface of a bench, so that one end piece of the frame and the legs cause the holder to assume a position as a stand.
The rectangular wire frame has two parallel wires between its sides and secured to the end pieces of the frame. These wires have a rough surface or lie in a plane that is perpendicular to the frame itself, but not entirely straight, having either wavy or saw-toothed form As mentioned earlier, the frame has a number of holes or sleeves attached to it for receiving the ends of the U-shaped part that is to constitute a shelf, so that the relationship between frame and shelf is rigid. The free ends of the U-shaped part may of course be welded to the rectangular frame. It is also suitable to arrange a transverse stay between the welding points.
The second unit, that shall constitute a clamping arrangement for the object placed on a shelf, is in the nature of an endless loop having an oval part running between the longitudinal wires of the holder, and a protruding part that is somehow located above a shelf. The two longitudinal wires pass through said oval at its ends. The oval has two substantially parallel parts and these are situated beneath the two interjacent wires that shall have a rough surface. This enables a clamping unit to be displaced upwardly or downwardly thanks to the rough surface of the interjacent wires. The protruding part of the endless wire unit will be directed downwards but, since the wire does not have a large diameter, it will act as a spring that is in spring abutment with an object below it.
The unit forming a shelf is also provided with an upwardly bent part at its outer edge, just as the spring arrangement has a downwardly bent part. This means that any object placed between the two units is unable to move outwardly since the downwardly and upwardly bent parts prevent any outward movement.
A number of boxes with openings for disposable products, for instance, can be clamped in a holder of the type under discussion. When the holder is then anchored in one way or another, there is no difficulty in removing one article at a time without the position of the boxes being displaced.
Further characteristics of the present invention are disclosed in the appended claims.